This invention relates to an electronic pet system, a network system, a robot, and a storage medium, and particularly to an electronic pet system, a network system, a robot, and a storage medium which enable realization of an electronic pet in various types of devices.
Recently, so-called electronic pet devices (or breeding simulation game machines) have been popular because of the easiness in comparison with breeding of real animals as pets.
In an electronic pet device, an object of a virtual living body is displayed as an electronic pet and a keeper (user of the electronic pet device) is notified of the state of the electronic pet such as the degree of starvation (hunger) or fatigue by an image or a sound. The keeper (user) feeds or plays with the electronic pet by operating the electronic pet device in accordance with the state of the electronic pet. Thus, the electronic pet has its state (state of the electronic pet) changed on the basis of the keeper""s actions and is thus bred. The electronic pet grows with the lapse of time and therefore the state of the electronic pet is also changed with the lapse of time.
Meanwhile, since the electronic pet device only displays the electronic pet on the display screen, the displayed electronic pet is a so-called virtual existence.
In the case where the electronic pet is realized by means of, for example, a robot, which exists as a substance, the robot as the electronic pet actually exists in the real world. In such a case, with respect to the robot as the electronic pet, the keeper (user) will have a feeling closer to the feeling in the case of actually breeding a pet, than with the electronic pet displayed in the electronic pet device.
However, in the case where the electronic pet is realized by means of a robot, it is inconvenient to carry the robot in traveling or the like. Therefore, it is more convenient if the electronic pet can be realized as an actually existing robot in a certain case and can be realized as a virtual existence in a portable electronic pet device in another case.
Since the electronic pet realized in the conventional electronic pet device generally has its state changed in accordance with an input from the user or with the lapse of time and thus takes an action, it lacks reality in comparison with the case of breeding a real animal as a pet.
Specifically, for example, in the case where a dog as a real animal is bred as a pet, when the dog wants the keeper to play with him, the dog barks or wags his tail to draw the keeper""s attention. In this case, if the keeper keeps ignoring, the dog gets tired and stops barking or wagging his tail and then takes an action such as falling asleep. The real pet animal may be in high spirits after sleeping.
On the other hand, the electronic pet realized in the conventional electronic pet device (for example, an electronic pet dog) continues barking or wagging its tail when wanting the keeper to play, or stops such an action due to the lapse of time. Unlike the real pet animal (for example, a dog), the electronic pet does not get tired and fall asleep through barking or wagging its tail. That is, in the electronic pet realized in the conventional electronic pet device, the state of the electronic pet is not changed in accordance with the action of the electronic pet itself, and therefore does not take any action in accordance with such a change of the state due to the action of the electronic pet itself. For these reasons, it is demanded to provide an electronic pet with more reality.
In view of the foregoing status of the art, it is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic pet system, a network system, a robot, and a storage medium which enable realization of an electronic pet with more reality in various types of devices.
Specifically, an electronic pet system according to the present invention has an information processing device and a robot. The information processing device has transmission/reception means capable of transmitting and receiving the internal state of an electronic pet, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the electronic pet to act, and image display means, and carries out processing for implementing the electronic pet by the image display means. The robot has transmission/reception means capable of transmitting and receiving the internal state of the electronic pet, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the electronic pet to act, and a motion section for moving in the real world, and controls the motion section to carry out processing for implementing the electronic pet as an existence in the real world.
With such an electronic pet system, the internal state of the electronic pet is changed in accordance with input information and transmission/reception of the internal state is carried out between the information processing device and the robot which cause the electronic pet to act on the basis of the internal state. The information processing device acts on the basis of the internal state sent from the robot, and the robot acts on the basis of the internal state sent from the information processing device.
Also, an electronic pet system according to the present invention has an information processing device and a robot. The information processing device has radio transmission/reception means capable of radio-transmitting and receiving the internal state of an electronic pet, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the electronic pet to act, and image display means, and carries out processing for implementing the electronic pet by the image display means. The robot has radio transmission/reception means capable of radio-transmitting and receiving the internal state of the electronic pet, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the electronic pet to act, and a motion section for moving in the real world, and controls the motion section to carry out processing for implementing the electronic pet as an existence in the real world.
With such an electronic pet system, the internal state of the electronic pet is changed in accordance with input information and radio transmission/reception of the internal state is carried out between the information processing device and the robot which cause the electronic pet to act on the basis of the internal state. The information processing device acts on the basis of the internal state sent from the robot, and the robot acts on the basis of the internal state sent from the information processing device.
A network system according to the present invention has one or more implementation devices and a server device. The implementation device has transmission/reception means capable of transmitting and receiving the internal state of a living body object, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the living body object to act, and the identification information of the living body object, thus implementing the living body object. The server device has management means for managing the internal state of the living body object and the identification information of the living body object, and transmission/reception means capable of transmitting/receiving at least the internal state and the identification information. The implementation devices and the server device are connected with each other via a network.
With such a network system, the living body object in the implementation device has its internal state and identification information managed by the server device.
Also, a network system according to the present invention has an implementation device and an information processing device. The implementation device has transmission/reception means capable of transmitting and receiving the internal state of a living body object, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the living body object to act, thus implementing the living body object. The information processing device has transmission/reception means capable of transmitting and receiving the internal state of the living body object, controls the action of the living body object acting in a virtual world on the basis of the internal state of the living body object, and carries out processing for displaying at least the virtual world and the living body object.
With such a network system, the internal state of the living body object in the implementation device, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing occurrence of an action, is transferred to the information processing device, which carries out processing for displaying at least the virtual world and the living body object.
A robot according to the present invention is adapted for storing the internal state of a living body object, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing the living body object to act, and for controlling a motion section to carry out processing for implementing the living body object as an existence in the real world. The robot transfers at least the internal state to an information processing device, which controls the action of a living body object acting in a virtual world on the basis of the internal state of the living body object in the robot and carries out processing for displaying at least the virtual world and the living body object.
Such a robot transfers the internal state, which is changed in accordance with input information and is information for causing occurrence of an action, to the information processing device, which carries out processing for displaying at least the virtual world and the living body object.
A storage medium according to the present invention is adapted for storing data usable in an information processing device and can be inserted to/ejected from a slot provided in the information processing device. The storage medium has indication means for indicating an accurate loading position when loaded in the slot of the information processing device.
Thus, the user loads the storage medium into the slot of the information processing device with reference to the indication means.